Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona NVS 2022 Honda CR-V

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Kona N are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CR-V doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona N has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring has a rear cross-path warning system.

The Kona N has standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Kona N and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Kona N comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CR-V’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona N 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the CR-V. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CR-V ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona N’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the CR-V’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona N for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CR-V.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kona N has a standard 640-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 82 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

The Kona N’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 86 more horsepower (276 vs. 190) and 110 lbs.-ft. more torque (289 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Kona N is faster than the Honda CR-V:

The Kona N’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The CR-V doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Kona N’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V:

The Kona N’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CR-V are solid, not vented.

The Kona N’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V LX/SE’s standard 65 series tires. The Kona N’s tires are lower profile than the CR-V Touring’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kona N has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CR-V LX/SE.

The Kona N has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Kona N has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The CR-V’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Kona N has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kona N handles at .95 G’s, while the CR-V Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona N is 1 foot, 4.2 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the Kona N easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona N has .2 inches more front legroom and 2.7 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

The front step up height for the Kona N is 3 inches lower than the CR-V (16” vs. 19”). The Kona N’s rear step up height is 1.9 inches lower than the CR-V’s (16.1” vs. 18”).

The power windows standard on both the Kona N and the CR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Kona N is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CR-V prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Kona N’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CR-V’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The CR-V SE/EX/EX-L/Touring’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Kona N’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The CR-V LX’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Kona N’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Kona N has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the CR-V Touring offers wireless charging.

The Kona N was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The CR-V hasn’t been picked since 2017.